In a bold and historic move, Norway has become the world’s first country to adopt a formal ban on deforestation within its public procurement practices. This decision ensures that any product acquired by the Norwegian government will no longer be linked to the destruction of forests anywhere in the world—marking a major step in the global fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.
The pledge was made on 26 May 2016, when the Norwegian parliament committed to a deforestation-free supply chain for all public contracts. Under this policy, products such as timber, palm oil, soy and beef—commonly associated with forest clearance—must meet stringent sourcing standards to ensure they do not contribute to forest destruction.
Why this matters
Forests serve as the planet’s lungs: they absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, store immense biodiversity and support livelihoods for millions. When forests are cleared—often for agriculture, logging or plantations—the climate suffers, species lose their habitat and local communities are impacted. Globally, commodity-driven deforestation (from beef, palm oil, soy, timber) accounted for about 40 % of tropical forest loss between 2000-2011.
By aligning government purchasing with environmental ethics, Norway sets a precedent: public money will no longer support forests being cleared. This sends a clear signal to the market, to companies and to other governments: ecological integrity matters.
What the policy entails
The government’s procurement policy now requires that suppliers demonstrate their goods do not stem from deforestation.
The policy covers multiple commodities linked to forest clearance, including palm oil, soy, beef, timber/tropical wood and derived products.
Norway’s decision also influences its investments: the nation’s sovereign wealth fund and public pension investments are being asked to Evaluate biodiversity and deforestation risks as part of investment policy.
Broader implications
This bold act by Norway does two key things:
1. Sets an example: By being the first nation to enact such a policy, Norway encourages other countries to follow suit. As observers note, until now, many corporations had committed to zero-deforestation supply chains—but governments had largely not.
2. Raises the bar for global trade and sourcing: As nations adopt similar rules, companies will face increasing pressure to trace supply chains and prove their products are deforestation-free. For example, the European Commission is enacting regulation covering commodities with deforestation risk, which Norway has committed to incorporate via the EEA agreement.
Challenges and next steps
While the policy is powerful, its success depends on enforcement, transparent supply chain tracing, and monitoring. Some challenges include:
Accurately tracing the origins of commodities like soy and palm oil, which often go through multiple intermediaries.
Ensuring that the policy’s ambition extends beyond procurement into other government and private sector buying.
Addressing related issues such as deforestation outside the procurement chain (e.g., exports, private sector purchases).
Norway is also moving to implement the broader EU deforestation regulation in national law, including high-risk products such as wood, coffee and cocoa.
A message of hope
When a country takes responsibility for how it buys goods, it shows the world that protecting forests is not optional—it’s essential. Norway’s move gives hope: imagine if many more nations followed, then we could see a real shift in how the global economy treats forests—not as a resource to be cleared, but as a treasure to be protected.
—
Source:
“Norway commits to zero deforestation,” Climate Action, 27 May 2016.
“Norwegian state commits to zero deforestation,” Rainforest Foundation Norway, 26 May 2016.
“Norway Just Banned Deforestation,” Intelligent Living, April 2019.
“Norway – Procurement Law to Stem Deforestation, Protect Human Rights,” Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor, 16 Sept 2016.